★The Brandy Bus, Glamping In a Quiet Paradise

✔ Set in a lush mature garden with diverse birdlife. ✔ Close to Giraffe Center, Karen Blixen Museum and Daphne Sheldricks Elephant Orphanage and both airports. ✔ Plenty of restaurants, bars nearby. ✔ There is outdoor dining, sun loungers and an outdoor fireplace. ✔ Full size bathroom built onto the bus *please note* there is some building work being done on the house next door to us that you may be able to hear during the day time, it will always stop by 5pm. The Brandy Bus is an old-school bus that has been revamped into a cozy and distinct Airbnb home. Tucked away in the serene beautiful suburbs of Karen it is a perfect place to escape. The Bus is close to many tourist attractions, restaurants, bars and close to both airports. All shopping,banking etc are accessible nearby. There are two double beds upstairs and two small single beds downstairs that also serve as sofas. There is outdoor seating and an outdoor fireplace. Guest have access to the entire bus and surrounding garden including the tennis court. I live on the property and I am usually around should guests need any help, I am always available by message anyway should you need to contact me or ask for any advice. ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA “I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills,” so says Karen Blixen in her book Out Of Africa, a memoir. It is here that the story of Karen begins. When in 1931 a developer by the name Remy Martin bought the land owned by Karen Blixen, the Danish author, and converted it into residential lots, he had no idea that he had just initiated what in modern day would be one of Nairobi’s fastest growing suburbs. More than 80 years later, Karen, which was named in honour of Ms Blixen, is a popular suburb sprawling with gated communities, ranches belonging to some key individuals in the country and high-end shopping malls. For those of us who call it home, Nairobi’s muscular, cosmopolitan charms include a vibrant cultural life, fabulous places to eat and exciting nightlife. If you're just passing through, this melting pot of people and attractions has an unlikely national park (black rhinos and lions), an irresistible elephant orphanage, the ground zero for the Rothschild’s giraffe, Karen Blixen's former home and so much more. Please keep in mind that Nairobi is notoriously bad for traffic, especially at the moment while widespread road works are ongoing. I would advise you to try to avoid travelling at all peak rush hour times. Most of the suggestions I have made here are easy to get to from the Karen area to avoid all day traffic battles! I have only included my preferred places in this guide so keep in mind there are many more options out there for you to discover. NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK Set on the city’s southern outskirts, Nairobi National Park (at 117 sq km, it’s one of Africa’s smallest) has abundant wildlife which can, in places, be viewed against a backdrop of city skyscrapers and airliners coming in to land – it's the only national park on earth that borders a capital city. You will need your own car to drive around or you can organize a tour through a local company. Robert the taxi driver can arrange a car and driver to take you to the park. Early mornings and late afternoon are best for game viewing. Location: About 20 mins from the Brandy Bus to the main gate DAPHNE SHELDRICK ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE Occupying a plot within Nairobi National Park, this non-profit trust was established in 1977, shortly after the death of David Sheldrick, who served as the anti-poaching warden of Tsavo National Park. Together with his wife Daphne, David pioneered techniques for raising orphaned black rhinos and elephants and reintroducing them back into the wild, and the trust retains close links with Tsavo for these and other projects. The centre is one of Nairobi's most popular attractions, and deservedly so. After entering at 11am, visitors are escorted to a small viewing area centred on a muddy watering hole. A few moments later, much like a sports team marching out onto the field, the animal handlers come in alongside a dozen or so baby elephants. For the first part of the viewing, the handlers bottle-feed the baby elephants – a heartwarming sight. Once the little guys have drunk their fill, they proceed to romp around like big babies. The elephants seem to take joy in misbehaving in front of their masters, so don’t be surprised if a few break rank and start rubbing up against your leg! The Trust is also home to a number of orphaned rhinos, many of which, like the baby elephants, mingle with wild herds in Nairobi National Park during the day. You can go on their website and adopt your own elephant for $50 which means you can go for a much more private viewing at 5.00pm – well worth it! Location: About 20 mins drive from the Brandy Bus THE GIRAFFE CENTER This center, which protects the highly endangered Rothschild’s giraffe, combines serious conservation with enjoyable activities. You can observe, hand-feed or even kiss one of the giraffes from a raised wooden structure, which is quite an experience. You may also spot warthogs snuffling about in the mud, and there’s an interesting self-guided forest walk through the adjacent Gogo River Bird Sanctuary. This is one of Kenya’s good-news conservation stories. In 1979 Jock Leslie-Melville (the Kenyan grandson of a Scottish earl) and his wife Betty began raising a baby giraffe in their Langata home. At the time, when their African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) was just getting off the ground, there were no more than 120 Rothschild’s giraffes (which differ from other giraffe subspecies in that there is no patterning below the knee) in the wild. Unlike the more common reticulated and Masai giraffes, the Rothschild’s giraffe had been pushed to the brink of extinction by severe habitat loss in Western Kenya. Today, the population numbers more than 300, and the center has successfully released these charismatic creatures into Lake Nakuru National Park (home to around 45 giraffes), Mwea National Reserve, Ruma National Park and Nasalot National Reserve. Location: About 10 mins drive from the Brandy Bus KAREN BLIXEN MUSEUM If you loved Out of Africa, you'll love this place. This museum is the farmhouse where author Karen Blixen lived between 1914 and 1931. She left after a series of personal tragedies, but the lovely colonial house has been preserved as a museum. The museum is set in expansive gardens, and is an interesting place to wander around. That said, the movie was actually shot at a nearby location, so don’t be surprised if things don’t look entirely right! Guides (non-mandatory, but useful) are included in the admission fee, but they do expect a tip. Loaction: About 5 mins drive (or 15 mins walk) from the Brandy Bus EATING (AND DRINKING!) AROUND KAREN TALISMAN (my favorite restaurant!) This iconic and classy cafe-bar-restaurant remains fashionable with the Karen in-crowd, and rivals any of Kenya’s top eateries for imaginative international food. The New York Times has proclaimed Talisman Nairobi’s best restaurant. With a charming interior of Middle Eastern tapestry and Kenyan craft and unrivaled candle-lit al fresco dining, who can blame them. The Talisman is much more than your typical restaurant, playing host to a series of regular exhibitions on African art and monthly foodie events. The continental menu stretches from Japan to Zanzibar, Limuru to Mombasa and amazing sushi. Start with the feta and coriander samosa’s doused in chili jam. Booking is essential. The bar is also a great place to have a cocktail or sample the best Bloody Mary in Nairobi. Be prepared to pay European prices! The bar is always busy on a Friday or Saturday night if you are looking for somewhere to have a drink! Location: About 10 mins drive from the Brandy Bus. BOHO EATERY Nairobi has a new mainly vegan restaurant. "Mainly vegan" may sound like an odd description, but it works here: Boho Eatery's owners have swapped what would be a mostly meat menu with a mostly vegan one, leaving a couple of options for those carnivores unwilling to branch out. Label the cuisine what you will, it is definitely delicious. The elegant restaurant, located in a converted house, has an outdoor bar and patio seating area as well as a large garden. The perfect place to sit and relax with a glass of wine! There is also a photographic studio and luxury clothing shop on the property. Location: About 10 mins drive from the Brandy Bus. TIN ROOF CAFE This place has all the necessary ingredients to be a firm favorite – a quiet garden setting both locations, great coffee, the city's best salad bar and a commitment to healthy eating. My only complaint? It doesn't open for dinner. There are two locations and each are located in a fabulous shopping places, even more reason to visit! Location: There are 2 locations: The souk About 15 mins drive from the Brandy Bus and Langata Link about 5 mins drive from the bus HARU JAPANESE AND SUSHI The place to go for the best authentic Japanese dishes. Offering seven different kinds of Japanese Sake (Japanese rice wine) and Asahi which is the most famous beer in Japan. Haru offers the best Sushi and Sashimi in town. It has a sushi bar, shady outdoor patio and a dining area. This is somewhere to go purely to fill your belly it is not geared towards a night out. They also do very efficient takeaway and delivery. Location: About 10 mins drive from the Brandy Bus. NYAMA CHOMA Looking for some local and budget friendly flavors? Drop into any of the numerous Nyama choma joints in Karen. Nyama choma literally means “roasted meat.” Most of the time goat is the default genre, but beef (ng’ombe) and chicken (kuku) are also quite common and can be very delicious too. Nyama Choma in Nairobi is usually eaten off a communal cutting board, as the main dish, with others dishes on the side. What do you eat with Nyama Choma? Some prefer just straight meat and salt. Others like a bit of kachumbari (combination of chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro, sometimes avocado) or pili pili (chili). For starch, ugali (cornmeal starch) or greasy chips (French fries) are common. My favourite local meal is Chapati (flat bread) with Skumawiki (fried kale and onions) and Githeri (usually a mix of corn, red kidney beans and peas). Local Places to eat nearby: The Grassy Knoll, Tamasha Joint and Karen shopping center car park My guide includes a number for a trusted taxi driver. Uber is another great and affordable way to travel around. This property is a calm escape for people to come to rest, relax and rejuvenate. If you are looking for a location to have a late night party with your friends then THIS IS NOT IT! We are in a residential area with neighbors so we have a 9pm courtesy quiet hour at the property. Guests need to walk about 150m from the car park to the bus along a path that can be muddy in the rainy season. We have 5 dogs on the property who are very friendly but will run up barking to say hello. If you, or your children, are terrified of dogs then this is probably not the right property for you to stay at! If children run away screaming from the dogs they will chase them barking thinking it is a game they are playing.